A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device which displays traveling symbols on its reels.
The games in many existing gaming machines, such as traditional slot machines, are based upon the concept of spinning reels. The player initiates the spin of the reels, and where the reels stop determines whether a player wins a value and, if so, how much value the player wins. These gaming machines typically have certain features designated for outcomes such as when a player wins a value, advances to a bonus round or when the game terminates. For example, these gaming machines often display the amount of credits earned, flash lights, make sounds or have other features designed to draw attention to the outcome and entertain the player. In an existing game when a predetermined event occurs, a wild card-type symbol replaces various reel symbols, one at a time. If any of those replacements result in a winning combination of symbols, the player wins a certain value. Patent Cooperation Treaty Patent No. WO 9732285 entitled, xe2x80x9cSlot Machine Game with Roaming Wild Card,xe2x80x9d published on Apr. 9, 1997 and assigned on its face to Aristocrat Leisure Ind Pty Ltd discloses a feature generally of this type. However, these existing features do not display symbols as they move or travel from one position to another on the reels.
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide players with new features for gaming devices which use reels, where the new features involve symbols which travel on the reels.
The present invention overcomes the above shortcomings by providing a gaming device and method which includes a plurality of reels, preferably video reels and a plurality of symbols on the reels. The reels are preferably adjacent to one another. Functionally, a plurality of the reels spin, come to a stop and display one or more symbols. One or more reels may not spin and may function solely as a display screen. The term display, as used herein, includes but is not limited to showing, performing or otherwise representing a person, place or thing, at rest or in motion, visually and/or audibly.
The symbols which are displayed on each reel in relation to each other form a combination of symbols. When a player causes or reaches certain events, symbols or combinations of symbols (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9ctriggering eventsxe2x80x9d) in a primary game or bonus round, the computer of the gaming device provides certain outcomes, such as providing the player with value or bonus value, providing the player with the opportunity to gain values or bonus values, deducting values or bonus values from the player, terminating the primary game or bonus round, otherwise generating an event or determining the outcome of the primary game or bonus round.
As a result of one or more triggering events at any time during a primary game or bonus round, but preferably immediately before or after any of these outcomes occurs, one or more symbols (hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9ctraveling symbolxe2x80x9d) travels from one location on a reel to another location on the same reel or a different reel. It should be appreciated that the present invention can be adapted to enable the player to control which traveling symbol will travel and where it will travel. Preferably, the computer animates the traveling symbols when they travel. The term animate, as used herein, includes but is not limited to, moving in any direction, simulating actual movement, operation or behavior, bending, transforming into a different shape or size, separating into different parts, expanding or contracting, changing colors, shades or patterns, illuminating, making sounds or otherwise having dynamic characteristics.
It is also preferable that immediately before the traveling symbol begins to travel, during the travel or when the traveling symbol reaches its destination, the computer may display or perform certain exhibitions involving: the traveling symbol, any of the other symbols, reels or any other persons, places or things which are graphically displayed on the reels. The term exhibition, as used in this specification, includes but is not limited to any audio, visual or audiovisual representation of a person, place or thing in motion or at rest, including video images, graphics, activities, animations, virtual representations, simulations or movement.
Depending upon when the travel feature of the present invention is used in relation to a game outcome, a variety of predetermined events may occur after the travel and any exhibitions are complete. For example, the game can provide the player with values or bonus values, deduct values or bonus values or terminate the primary game or bonus round. In any case, the travel feature of the present invention provides players with engaging and enjoyable entertainment.
In one preferred embodiment, when a certain triggering event occurs, the computer displays at least two traveling symbols at different locations on one or more reels. The traveling symbols move towards one another, accompanied by various exhibitions. This preferred embodiment can be included in a primary game and/or bonus round.
Preferably in this preferred embodiment, the symbols are vehicles moving towards one another on a collision path. Also, all symbols and graphics between the two vehicles are removed and replaced with a hand. The hand is located midway between the two vehicles. Before a collision occurs, the hand holds up a traffic stop sign, and the vehicles stop traveling. The computer then replaces the stop sign with the numeric value gained by the player.
In another embodiment, the triggering event is the player choosing at least one selectable symbol displayed on the reels. When the player chooses this selectable symbol, a predetermined symbol travels towards another predetermined symbol on the reels. When the traveling symbol reaches its destination, it interacts with the symbol it reached. This preferred embodiment can also be included in a primary game and/or bonus round.
Preferably, in this embodiment the selectable symbol is a food item located on a reel. When the player selects the food item, a predetermined character travels from its location to another symbol. The computer animates the character when it travels. Also, the computer performs an exhibition when the character reaches the destination symbol. The exhibition involves interaction between the traveling character and the symbol which it reached. In an alternative embodiment, when the player selects any symbol, except for the traveling character, the traveling character travels from its location to the food item. The computer animates the traveling character and also includes an exhibition involving this character and the food item (i.e., an exhibition of the character eating the food).
The gaming device feature of the present invention includes reels which display a variety of symbols. When one or more triggering events occurs in a game or bonus round, such as the player reaching a predetermined combination of symbols, one or more symbols travels from one location on one reel to another location on another reel. The traveling is accompanied by entertaining animations and exhibitions for the player""s amusement.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device with reels which includes traveling symbols.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.